$1 Ebook Store: March 2008

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Quilt Giveaway

http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/2008/03/giving-away-quilt.html

There is a quilt giveaway at the above link! Just be sure and tell them I sent you so I can get credit! :0)
Hurry though it ends March 19th at 7pm EDT!
Good luck! I hope one of us wins!

For many years, scientists have been playing out the ingredients that make breast milk the perfect food for babies. They've discovered to day over200 close compounds to fight infection, help theimmune system mature, aid in digestion, and supportbrain growth - nature made properties that sciencesimply cannot copy.

The important long term benefits of breast feedinginclude reduced risk of asthma, allergies, obesity,and some forms of childhood cancer. The more that scientists continue to learn, the better breast milk looks.

In addition to making your baby healthier, breastfeeding may also make him smarter. Many studieshave proved that breast fed babies tend to bemore smarter than babies who were fed with formulaor other methods. Breast feeding does help withnutrients and the support of brain growth, whichis something every mother should think about.

The benefits for the nursing mom are just asgood as they are for the baby. The hormones thatare released during breast feeding will curbblood loss post delivery and help to shrink theuterus back to it's normal size.

Long term, the breast feeding mom will have alower risk for premenopausal breast cancer,which is the kind that strikes before the ageof 50. The benefits will begin to show with three to six months of breast feeding and increasethe longer that breast feeding continues.

By now, you should realize that breast milk isone power packed liquid. It offers more for yourbaby than formula, or any other scientific creation for that matter. As you begin to planfor the future of your baby, make a commitmentto breast feeding him for as long as you possiblycan - as it will do both your bodies good.

Benefits Of Breast Feeding

Once you've given birth, breast feeding is the singlemost important thing you can do to protect your babyand help to promote good health. Best of all, breastfeeding is free.

Along with saving you money on HMR (Human Milk Replacement), breast feeding can also help you to keep your medical bills down. Babies that are fedwith formula get sicker more often and more seriouslythan babies that are breast fed They also have moreear infections, respiratory infections, and otherproblems.
This can be even more true if your family has had ahistory of allergies. When a baby is breast fed, theantibodies pass on from the mother to the baby, helping to protect against illness and allergies. Asthe baby's system matures, his body will begin to make it's own antibodies, and he'll be more equippedto handle sensitivities of food.

Sucking on the breast will also help with the development or jaw alignment and the development ofthe cheekbone. For this very reason, there is lessof the need for costly orthodontic work when the child gets older.
Unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, alwaysavailable, convenient, and always the right temperaturefor feeding. Plus, it contains all of the vitaminsand minerals your growing baby needs, saving you a lot of money.

Breast feeding also offers many benefits for the momas well. The baby sucking at the breast will causecontractions right after birth, leading to less bleeding for the mom, and helping her uterus to it'sshape before pregnancy much faster.
Breast feeding will also burn calories, so a mom canlose weight much faster than if she fed her baby witha bottle. Breast feeding will also create a specialbond with the mother and the baby - which is onething formula simpy cannot do.

What is Homeschooling

The term 'homeschooling' basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household. The laws that define homeschooling vary from State to State. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the State.

For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school. This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here. Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form.

Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this method. This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose.

Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents. It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative.

Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling. Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start.

Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a 'Notice of Intent' to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a 'Private church' school or a 'qualified non-public school'. The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child's attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test. Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling entails.
Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work. But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.

How to Bring Up Your Children Properly

Childhood years are the best times to learn. Somehow, a person’s comprehension is at its peak during childhood. Parents should take advantage of these learning years to ingrain the values of life in their children.
If you’re a parent, teach them positive habits so that they will know and see the beauty that life has to offer. Make them enthusiastic about life. Instill into their hearts and minds all the wonders and magnificence of being alive by living life to its fullest in a positive way.
There’s a startling difference between children learning through self-discovery, and children learning through self-discovery with proper guidance. The first things that children learn are usually the things that stay with them and mold formative years until they reach adulthood.
Let us suppose you let your children learn through self-discovery. To a certain extent, self-discovery is good since it develops full independence and self-reliance. However, the learning process might be slow. In a sense, it is like a trial and error experience for children. They have to segregate the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, what they like and what they don’t. It is most likely that what they will like are the ones that come easy to them or the ones that they enjoy the most. And the ones that they enjoy the most might not necessarily be the good ones. Without proper guidance, what they like and enjoy the most might actually be hurting them although they are not aware of it. Perhaps later, if they find out that they picked the wrong choices, it may be too late.
With self-discovery through proper guidance, you will be able to leave room for them to develop independence and self-reliance. At the same time, show them what is right and what is wrong. Explain to them why. If possible, cite instances or examples based on true-to-life events to make them more convincing and realistic. The more realistic they are, the more easily the children are convinced. Likewise, try teaching them in a friendly and humorous atmosphere. Children are more attentive and eager to learn when all (both teachers and students) are in an easy mood. You will know and feel their eagerness to learn through the sparkle in their eyes and by the way they answer your questions. You can be sure that what they learn from you is acceptable to them and will stay with them. That is why, as a parent, you must show enthusiasm in life to your children.
There’s a third method of making children learn. That is through proper guidance leaving negligible room for self-discovery. But there are drawbacks. You take away from them the benefits of self-reliance and independence. The guidance you devote to them may be good and well intended, but they must not rely on you on almost everything they do. They become decision-dependent on you. There are instances wherein this type of guidance might be worse than giving no guidance at all.
There are parents who underwent hardships during their childhood, strived, and became successful financially. Although they are financially in the position to guide and assist their children to a better life, they prefer that their children undergo the same difficult experience they underwent during their younger years. Their reason: so that their children will value and experience the same things they went through. This may be applicable to stubborn and rebellious youngsters, but not to disciplined ones. Why must their sons and daughters repeat the same difficulties? There’s no reason to. This is like punishing the innocent. Instead of repeating the experience, they should learn from it. Life is too short to repeat unsavory experiences.
One of the best ways to broaden your children’s knowledge about life is by traveling. The world - its varied people, places, and cultures - has a lot of information to offer. It is perhaps as important as the conventional classroom. If you are financially able, traveling is one of the best educational experiences you can give your children. Look for exhibits or world fairs, and take your children there. Books are the next best things. It’s traveling by reading.
Fill your children with thoughts of self-importance, confidence, and positive attitude so that there will be no room for negative thinking. More importantly, fill their world with laughter, love, and understanding. You‘ll never go wrong.